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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28706952">An Offering</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mewmedic/pseuds/mewmedic'>mewmedic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dead by Daylight (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Femslash, Friends to Lovers, Kissing, Slow Burn, Touch-Starved, acquaintances to friends, hand holding, megdette</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:33:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,418</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28706952</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mewmedic/pseuds/mewmedic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Meg peaked out from behind the tree and saw a small silhouette fading into the fog. Was that Claudette? It can’t be. She seemed like the last of them who would hold a secret, but it’s often the quiet ones who are up to something.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Claudette Morel/Meg Thomas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Curiosity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Like most fandoms, there is a severe lack of F/F content in DbD so I have decided I need to contribute. This fic was originally only going to be one chapter but it's actually going to be two or three now. My headcanon is that Claudette has autism and Meg has ADHD so you will be seeing that here.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     It had been a long day, or what at least felt like a day, at the campfire and many killer encounters has been dealt with. The only thing on Meg’s mind is sleep and the three other poor souls she was trapped with had also tucked themselves away in their tents. This moment was always the closest Meg could find to peace here in the fog, drifting away to slumber in her sleeping bag. That precious sliver of time was quickly interrupted when heard the unzipping of a tent.</p><p>     The sound was not close enough to be her own tent so she internally debated as to whether she should even be concerned. Meg had her eyelids clamped shut as she tried to push the thought out of her mind. The other survivors must be exhausted like her; shouldn’t they be taking this time to rest? It’s not like they had anything else to do here at the campsite. Meg’s worrying got the best of her and she sat up, beginning to slowly to unzip her tent.</p><p>     If somebody was sneaking out to the woods when they thought the others were asleep, Meg was going to need to be stealthy to catch them. She gently, or as gently as someone like Meg could be, lifted her body out of her tent and treaded over to a nearby tree. She peaked out from behind and saw a small silhouette fading into the fog. Was that Claudette? It can’t be. She seemed like the last of them who would hold a secret, but it’s often the quiet ones who are up to something. She did not know her new companions that well, but she thought she knew them decently enough.</p><p>     Meg was ashamed to admit she was feeling a bit of a rush as she creeped from tree to tree while following the suspicious figure. She knew it wasn’t right to spy on someone like this, but they could be up to no good. What if they were in cahoots with the killers? Right when she thought she was ready to trust all of them, the thought of a betrayal made her blood boil. She stopped letting her mind race when she saw the person kneeling to the ground, with her back facing her. Meg tiptoed to the next tree to get a better view and she was correct on her assumption; it was Claudette.</p><p>     She appeared to be digging up something with small trowel. Where did she even get this tool? Did one of the killers give it to her? Is she planting some sort of secret evidence for them? Meg felt emboldened with fury but she needed to tread carefully. Hot head Meg just wasn’t going to cut it here. Claudette could snap and attack her for all she knew, she needed to be cautious.</p><p>     “Hey! What are you doing out here!” Meg shouted, dammit, that wasn’t supposed to come out that abrasive. Meg winced at her own volume. Claudette dropped the trowel and turned to Meg, who was now leaving her hiding spot behind a tree.</p><p>     “I… I was just…” Claudette paused eyes darting around, like she was looking for something.</p><p>     “Spit it out.” Meg’s body tensed, like she was preparing to bolt, was Claudette’s shifty eyes some sort of cue?</p><p>     “You know… There are civilizations that burn items as a part of ceremonies.” Oh great, the poor girl has gone mad and wants to get her sacrifice on.</p><p>     “Claudette, what are you planning?” Meg crossed her arms and furrowed her brow.</p><p>     “If you come closer, I can show you.” Claudette sheepishly spoke while waving her hand to beckon her. Meg took a step forward, then another, trying to hide her concern. She poked her head around Claudette only to discover… Flowers. They were yellow with large round petals, truly out of place in this cruel world. “Primrose has its medicinal uses and can even be made into tea. They’re a symbol of everlasting youth.” Claudette reached into her pocket and pulled out a satchel, Meg raised a brow at the movement.</p><p>     “What does this have to do with burning?” Meg moved away from the other woman.</p><p>     “I think whatever is keeping us here gave us a campfire for a reason. If we burn the primrose, it could maybe… Be a blessing.” With each word, her voice started to waver, she clearly wasn’t used to talking this much. “Primrose is just so lovely that I would hate to burn it, but I think it’s worth a shot.” This girl could not a traitor, she couldn’t heart a fly even if she tried. One thing for sure, Meg was a fucking idiot. How could she ever be so heartless? To expect Claudette of all people to harboring darkness.</p><p>     “Why are you sneaking out here to do this? It could be dangerous.” Meg bent down to the ground to pick up the trowel and hand it back to Claudette.</p><p>     “I thought you all would think it was stupid.” Claudette shifted her gaze to the dirt in embarrassment. She was right, Meg would have never believed something like this could work. She felt ashamed, not trusting Claudette while being read like a book. “Why did you come out here?”</p><p>     “Honestly, I thought you were sneaking out to meet a killer.” Meg’s covered her reddening face with her palms. She couldn’t believe she just revealed her foolishness like that.</p><p>     “I could never… Hurt my friends.” Friends? We’re they really all that close? According to the sorrow on Claudette’s face, she thought so.</p><p>     “I am so, so sorry Claudette. I can fall deeply into something once I commit to it and it’s just so crazy out here!” Meg stomped a foot in frustration and balled her hands into fists.</p><p>     “I forgive you.” Claudette gave a shy smile. Oh god, she was just a saint and Meg did not deserve this kindness. Claudette bent back to the ground, scooped up the primrose with the trowel, and placed it in the satchel. She turned to head back to the campfire but was interrupted by Meg.</p><p>     “Wait! If somebody wants to wander out here, they should bring someone with them. Right?” Meg reached out to touch Claudette’s shoulder. “You know, like a buddy system?”</p><p>     “Okay, sure.” Claudette sent a glance back to Meg then returned to walking, only to be interrupted by Meg again.</p><p>     “I think we should stay connected when we’re out here. It’s so dark out we could get separated.” Meg felt humiliated showing vulnerability like this, she bit her lip and tried to find the right words. “We should link arms. That way if we get lost, we get lost together.” Her face was beet red now. Claudette pressed a finger to her lips like she was weighing her options.</p><p>     “That’s fair… I think.” Claudette extended her arm out somewhat timidly, waiting for Meg to reciprocate. Meg caught up to Claudette, reaching out to the other woman’s arm. The two bent their arms around each other, hands dangling in the air awkwardly. The warmth from the other woman comforted half of Meg’s body while the other half braced against the frigid fog. Both of them stepped in the different direction and were halted by their arm link.</p><p>     “Uh, I thought the fire was to the right?” Meg averted her gaze, embarrassed that she wasn’t on the same wavelength as Claudette.</p><p>     “I believe it’s to the left.” Claudette affirmed. She tried to adjust her glasses, but with one hand holding the satchel and the other arm hooked around Meg’s arm she couldn’t.</p><p>     “I trust you.” Meg spoke with confidence and a stern look on her face.</p><p>     They strode together in the direction of the camp. Meg knew they weren’t that far from fire, but the fog was so thick it could shroud anything from a short distance. An orange twinkle emerged from the darkness and got brighter with each second. The smell of smoke and the sound of crackling wood welcomed the two survivors back. They unwrapped their arms from each other and Claudette was finally given the opportunity to adjust her glasses.</p><p>     “If the burning works, I would like for you go out with me again. If you want to, that is.” Now it was Claudette’s turn to blush, her gaze fixed to the ground in embarrassment.</p><p>     “Of course, I will! What kind of friend would I be if I let you just wonder out there all alone?” Meg flashed a look of determination on her face, like a little fire of hope had just sparked within her. They both chuckled and then stood awkwardly in silence for a moment.</p><p>     “Well, I guess we should go to bed now. We have a big day of trials ahead of us.” Claudette wiped her eyes, indicating her tiredness.</p><p>     “Trials? Is that what you call them?” Meg placed her thumb on her chin inquisitively. “Well, goodnight.”</p><p>     “Goodnight, Meg!” Claudette chirped, a little to loud on accident. She put her palm over her mouth.</p><p>     The two parted ways and entered their tents. Meg dropped down on her sleeping back and shoved her body inside in a hurry. She couldn’t believe she was thinking this, but she was excited for the first ‘trial’ tomorrow. Could this really work? She trusted Claudette now so it <em>had</em> to work.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Kindness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Claudette walked off and met Meg again, who extended her arm to link up and she reciprocated. The two survivors crossed over into the fog together once more. She was surprised at how Meg was willing to be so close and even touch her. Before she was abducted into this realm, Claudette never really had anyone who was like this in her life. She didn’t know many people who wanted to spend time with her. To most around her, she was the weird girl who likes plants too much. She was torn from her thoughts when Meg began to speak.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter went way longer than expected. But the next chapter should be shorter and the final.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     Claudette was stirred from her sleep by the call of a trial. It was a sleep cycle she had acquired over a pretty quick period of time, much like waking up before an alarm she has set for school. She rubbed her groggy eyes and turned her gaze to the primrose flowers in a satchel. Memories of last night returned to her mind: Meg distrusting her, the embarrassment, then she forgave her. The whole encounter was so awkward and she would really just like to move on from it. But she dreaded that it would have to be brought up again when the four of them met for the trial. She was going to have to explain the primrose to Jake and Dwight somehow. She exited her tent with her satchel and met the others at the fire.</p><p>     “Oh, there she is. Claudette has a surprise for us.” Meg looked like she was mid conversation with the two men and was ushering her into the topic by waving her arm. Claudette stopped moving and felt her throat clog, her whole body tensed. Her brain flashed imagery of her last public speaking moment, an awards ceremony where she nearly melted behind the podium. How could she approach this without Jake and Dwight thinking she was crazy like Meg did?</p><p>     “I… uh… Primrose is an ingredient used in medicine that treats eczema and other skin issues and… and...” Jake was deadpanning her like he was waiting for her to get to the damn point while Dwight looked like he was painfully resisting the urge to bite his nails out of boredom. She shot a desperate look to Meg that screamed ‘please help me out of this pit of verbal quicksand.’</p><p>     “What Claudette is trying to say is. She thinks whatever monster gave us this campfire put it here so we could make, like, sacrifices to it. Things we find in the fog could help us.” Meg shot her arms out gesticulating with every point she was trying to make.</p><p>     “I would prefer the term offering. Sacrifice just sounds so… violent. But yes, I believe burning this primrose could maybe motivate us to heal each other more.” Claudette thought she was starting to find her footing in the conversation thanks to Meg’s explanation. Unfortunately, Jake rolled his eyes at her statement.</p><p>     “I’m pretty sure our motivation to heal is the psychotic guy hunting us down.” Jake was mostly a quiet individual, but when he did speak, he was quite curt. Claudette secretly wished he would be a bit more of a ‘team player’ but felt ashamed to even think that.</p><p>     “Oh, whatever. You only heal us when we basically grovel and beg for it.” Meg crossed her arms and tapped her foot, clearly trying to control her temper. Dwight’s eyes darted around the campfire like he was looking for an opportunity to add his two cents.</p><p>     “Meg’s right. Anyways, it’s not like burning some flowers could possibly hurt us… Right?” Dwight unrolled his fists into open hands and showed his palms in a sort of shrug. “Right?” His voice was smaller now, almost like he was trying to reassure himself this time. Jake immediately scoffed and crossed his arms. The fog began to creep closer to the survivors and Claudette steeled herself. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tossed the satchel into the flames. The last thing she saw before the fog whisked her away was the fire spiking into the air.</p><p>     ***</p><p>     The trial was pretty standard for Claudette. The killer that they call ‘The Hillbilly’ had eliminated her on her third hook when there were two generators left to finish. She hated dying so close to completion, all that hard work down the drain, at least for her. Now her friends would be left to deal with aftermath of her mistakes. The first death often causes the trial to spiral out of control and she couldn’t help but feel guilty about it. Claudette might even be the only one who will die this trial, although that would be unlikely. It seemed like the most common outcome for their trials was for two to live and two to die.</p><p>     She sat at the campfire as she waited for the others to return, gripping her knees in trepidation. After several minutes, Jake’s unconscious body gradually materialized from the fog one glowing body part at a time. The man sat up and the two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Claudette was too timid to ask what Jake was trying to get across with his stare. She didn’t want to be confrontational, so she just tilted her head down and stared at the dirt. Jake stood up and made his way back to the inside of his tent.</p><p>     A few minutes later, Meg and Dwight emerged from the fog together. Meg had her fists in the air like she had just crossed a finish line. Dwight trailed behind her, holding his gut in pain with his back hunched over. Claudette stood up and scurried over to Dwight, reaching a hand towards the wound.</p><p>     “It-it’s okay, Claudette. I have a medk-k-kit in my tent.” Dwight stuttering betrayed his attempt to sound like he was handling the pain well. She could tell Dwight probably just wanted to be alone after a hard trial so she let him go, against her best wishes. She knew she could heal Dwight better than he could himself, but she didn’t have the nerve to boss him around. The man drifted away to his tent so Claudette turned to Meg, who still looked quite victorious. She was shifting her weight from leg to leg in an excited dance, like she still had energy from the trial left to burn.</p><p>     “You are <em>not</em> gonna believe what I saw in the trial.” Meg proclaimed like a teenager who just heard the hottest rumor. Meg turned her head side to side to make sure the boys weren’t around and cupped a palm up to her lips like she was going to tell a secret. “Jake unhooked Dwight, and then he <em>healed</em> him.” She leaned back and let out a hearty cackle like a mad woman.</p><p>     “Really?” Claudette crossed her arms and placed a finger on her chin like she was waiting for more information.</p><p>     “Okay, so Dwight was hooked and I was on my way to get him. This was after you died, by the way, so the only people who could’ve got him are me and Jake. And I’m thinking there no way Jake’s gonna get him so I will. I’m about to exit the corn but I stop in my tracks when I see Jake in the distance. He did it, he really did it! Off the hook Dwight goes and he doesn’t even ask for a heal. Jake just <em>gives</em> it to him. And because Dwight was healed for the rest of the trial, he was able to take a hit while I opened the exit gate!” She slammed her hands together in a loud clap and was doing little jumps up and down. “Can you believe that?!”</p><p>     “So, you both only got out because of Jake’s healing?” The gears in Claudette’s brain were turning but she was disrupted by Meg.</p><p>     “You know what this means, right? The offering worked Claudy! It worked!” Meg struck a dramatic pose, craning her foot behind her in an arc and raising both hands in the air again.</p><p>     “Oh gosh, he really <em>was</em> motivated to be more altruistic, huh?” Claudette tapped her finger on her chin like she was lost in thought. It also could have been Dwight and Meg shaming him before the round. Who knows? Wait, did Meg just call her Claudy? She didn’t hate it; she just hadn’t been called that since maybe high school.</p><p>     “We should go get more before we get forced into another trial.” Meg swiftly turned to head into the fog. Claudette reached out to Meg and tapped her shoulder.</p><p>     “Wait, I need to fetch my trowel and another satchel.” Claudette headed to her tent then grabbed her trowel and a spare satchel, which she had found at Coldwind Farm not too long ago. When she exited her tent, she noticed Jake and Dwight were quietly talking while sitting on a log. The tone seemed like the conversation was private, as they both stopped speaking when they noticed Claudette. “Meg and I are going out to look for more offerings. Okay?” The two men nodded their head and then returned to looking at each other.</p><p>     Claudette walked off and met Meg again, who extended her arm to link up and she reciprocated. The two survivors crossed over into the fog together once more. She was surprised at how Meg was willing to be so close and even touch her. Before she was abducted into this realm, Claudette never really had anyone who was like this in her life. She didn’t know many people who wanted to spend time with her. To most around her, she was the weird girl who likes plants too much. She was torn from her thoughts when Meg began to speak.</p><p>     “So, what exactly are we looking for?” Meg pushed her free hand out in front of her, like she was trying to test to see if she would whisk away the fog. It unfortunately did not work.</p><p>     “I’m not sure really. Any sort of plant really.” She really did not know what kind of plants can grow out in this unusual dimension, finding the primrose really seemed like miracle. She really hoped she would be able to spot something as she didn’t want to let the team down. But right now, she only saw dirt on the ground as they walked.</p><p>     Claudette felt a soft warmth envelope her hand that was close to Meg. Almost like there was something holding it. Like a hand? It couldn’t be. Her body tensed for a millisecond and her eyes slowly traveled from the dirt to her own hand. There it was: Meg’s hand holding hers. She felt a heat rise in her cheeks so she <em>had</em> to be blushing. Claudette shot a speedy glance over to Meg; she was blushing too! She never imagined someone as confident as Meg could ever feel anxious about anything. The two girls both shot a knowing glance at each other. Claudette had no objections to this; but it seemed to all be coming at her so fast. Everything about Meg was fast so she guessed she would have to learn to keep up.</p><p>     Claudette stopped moving and Meg followed suit when she noticed an interruption in the dirt. It was an herb that looked like it had just started to grow as there wasn’t much of it. Just some pale green stems and the leaves that had red veins inside. The two survivors knelt down to get a closer look. “I think… I think this is crispleaf amaranth. Although I’ve never actually seen it in person since it doesn’t grow where I live.”</p><p>     “Where are you from?” Meg tilted her head curiously.</p><p>     “Oh, Uh, I’m from Montreal.” Claudette realized then that she didn’t really know the others’ pre-fog origins.</p><p>     “I’m from Wisconsin. You don’t sound Canadian, like, at all.” Meg spoke in a light-hearted manner.</p><p>     “What’s a Canadian <em>supposed</em> to sound like?” Claudette seemed taken aback a bit.</p><p>     “Canadians are supposed to say sorry like <em>Sor-Eee </em>and about like <em>aboot</em>.” Meg’s spoke playfully. Claudette quickly swiveled her head to face Meg and dropped her jaw in faux offense. “Oooh, can you speak French? Say something in French.”</p><p>     “<em>Belle fleur</em>. It means beautiful flower.” Claudette noticed Meg bite her lip like she was lost in thought and turned her view back to the herb in front of them. It may not be a flower or visually appealing, but it had beauty in its own way. “Anyways, amaranth in Greek means ‘the unfading flower.’ This Crispleaf has a self-supporting growth form, meaning it has its own supportive tissues so it doesn’t need to climb an object to grow high.”</p><p>     “So, it’s a real resilient son of a bitch?” Meg smirked, resting her chin on her knuckles.</p><p>     “That’s one way to put it, yeah. I think it will help us survive a trial.” Claudette laughed as she spoke and she gently pushed the trowel into the dirt. She left the trowel in the dirt and retrieved her satchel from her pocket. After a bit more digging the crispleaf had found its way into the little bag. She then put the trowel in her back pocket so she could carry the satchel. Both of the girls stood back up in unison.</p><p>     “So, did you go to college to learn all this plant stuff?” Meg asked.</p><p>     “Yes. I was honestly scared to leave my home, but I got a scholarship to a great school so I just <em>had</em> to go. What about you?” Claudette innocently questioned.</p><p>     “Well, I got a scholarship… But my mom got sick so I had to turn it down.” Meg turned her face away to hide the tears beginning to well in her eyes.</p><p>     “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” Claudette squeezed Meg’s hand just a little bit tighter in a meek way to show support.</p><p>     “I just… Being stuck out here is so painful. I have no idea how she’s doing.” Meg’s tears began to fall now.</p><p>     “Meg, I believe we’ll all get out of her, and the first thing we’ll do is go see your mom together.” Claudette spoke with a confidence that she can’t remember having in a long time. Meg turned her head back to Claudette and began to wipe the tears from her eyes. Claudette could tell from her behavior that she was ashamed cry. Meg suddenly let go of Claudette’s hand and threw her arms around her in a vice grip of a hug. Claudette gasped, dropped the satchel, and awkwardly tried to use her arms to pat Meg on the back. Her face reddened when she felt Meg rest her chin on her shoulder. She sat in silence, patiently waiting for Meg’s sobbing to fade away. “Are you ready to go back to the fire?”</p><p>     “Y-yeah. Sure.” Meg separated from the other woman. Claudette bent over and picked up the satchel. She then reached out her open palm to Meg, who then softly entwined her fingers with Claudette’s. The two walked for what felt eternity in silence until the blooming light of the campfire greeted them. “Claud, please don’t tell the guys about all that.”</p><p>     “Of course. It will be just between us.” Claudette let go of Meg’s hand and placed it on her own heart to try and show her sincerity.</p><p>     “Bye.” Both of them said at the same time. They both paused for a second at the unintentional timing and chuckled. They parted ways to their own tents to prepare themselves for the next trial. In the depth of Claudette’s mind, she wondered if the first offering had really worked. What if it was just a coincidence that Jake decided to take care of Dwight? She sat alone in her tent; vision locked to the herb held tightly in both hands. All that was left to do was wait.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Commitment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Never, not even a killer deserves that.” Claudette replied, with genuine disgust on her face. She may be unable to hurt a fly, but she wouldn't hurt a murderer? Meg could understand the fear of retaliation from them, but if she could get away with attacking a killer, she would totally do it. Claudette was just too sweet, and the strong must protect the sweet. Claudette’s face was wrought with worry, like she wanted to say something but was afraid. “Meg, have you ever thought that maybe they don’t want to hunt us down?”</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So this Chapter is technically shorter than chapter two but it is way longer than I expected. Whoops.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     Meg sat on a log, hugging her knees, while staring into the red-hot abyss that was the campfire. She couldn’t help but let her mind wonder over Claudette’s gentleness she experienced just a few hours ago. She really hoped Claudette wasn’t creeped out by all the hand holding and that hug. She didn’t want to rush Claudette into something she wasn’t comfortable with, but unfortunately speed was kind of Meg’s whole thing. Was she just being nice to her because she didn’t want to rock the boat? Claudette seemed like the type of person who would do that.</p><p>     The girl was torn from her thoughts when she felt another trial was incoming so she uncurled her body. It was only a matter of minutes before the other three were present at the campfire as well. She spotted the satchel of herbs in Claudette’s palms and decided to take an initiative with the conversation. Meg figured Claudette wasn’t the best at commanding attention through dialog. There was nothing wrong with that of course, she was clearly just an introvert.</p><p>     “Claudette and I found a plant called crispleaf amaranth. She thinks it might help us survive longer in a trial.” Meg tried to speak in a very series and concise tone, so the boys would take her seriously.</p><p>     “Well, it’s not a bag of weed so I doubt it will do much.” Jake snorted, like he though what he said was just <em>so</em> clever. This fucking guy. Always had to be a contrarian. Well Meg had something coming for him.</p><p>     “I saw you unhook and heal Dwight last trial. So <em>maybe</em> you secretly think these offerings work too! Or<em> maybe</em> you’re too scared to admit some flowers manipulated you into being nice for once!” Meg’s whole face had scrunched tight in frustration. With each word she said, she stepped closer to the man and then punctuated her anger with a finger pushing at his chest.</p><p>     “It’s true. Even if it’s a placebo effect we still had decent results.” Dwight added to the discussion with what seemed like reluctance, his eyes shifted and he rubbed his knuckles awkwardly. Meg being an extrovert, Dwight and Claudette being introverts, and Jake being whatever the hell he was sure lead to some interesting dynamics. Jake shot his view from Dwight to Meg rapidly, looking like a cornered animal ready to bounce back. He was clearly trying to come up with something to say, but then Claudette began to speak.</p><p>     “Meg told me about the trial. If Dwight had been injured when Meg was opening the gate, he wouldn’t have been able to take a hit for her. You did the right thing Jake, thank you.” Claudette’s kind tone quickly washed away the tension. Meg stepped back from Jake while he deflated his chest in embarrassment. She was dumbfounded by Claudette’s never-ending patience towards Jake’s petty quips. Meg was aware she wasn’t blameless either with her snapping at him, but goddammit, someone needs to make him be a team player. The fog began to creep in on the four survivors so Claudette quickly tossed the satchel into the flames.</p><p>     ***</p><p>The exit gates had been powered on and Meg was being chased by a killer they all call ‘The Wraith.’ He had been chasing her since the final generator had lit up so someone had to be close to opening a gate by now. She was injured and had been hooked twice, so she just had to find a gate and fast. Relief blessed her when she saw the three glowing red bulbs of an exit gate in the distance, with Claudette manning the switch.</p><p>     “Open it, open it, open it!” Meg panicked, narrowly dodging an attack from the monster’s disgusting blade.</p><p>     “It’s almost there- It’s- It’s done!” Claudette was just as stressed as Meg; she could see an injury on her arm now that she had rounded the corner of a wooden wall. The door of the gate began to move swiftly but Claudette was transfixed to the switch. “Wha-What about Dwight and Jake?!”</p><p>     “They can leave through the other gate! He’s gonna have to chase us out!” Meg had finally reached Claudette and grabbed her by the hand, ushering her past the opened gate. The two ducked together as the beast swung one last time and tumbled over the threshold into the fog. They were safe, for now, all they could do now is wait for the boys. It only took about a minute for the two to emerge into the fog, both of them leaning on each other for support as they stumbled.</p><p>     “Aha! Now you can’t deny that offering worked. I bet none of us can even recall the last time we all got out alive.” Meg proudly boasted.</p><p>     “We won’t know for sure until we test it more.” Jake stated, trying to sound calm and collected under the pain of his bleeding. Claudette approached Jake and looked like she was going to start dressing his wounds but was stopped by Dwight.</p><p>     “J-Jake and I can tend to our wounds. You two can get more off-offerings.” Dwight added, his teeth nearly clattering as he talked. Claudette curled her index finger as if to beckon Meg to her tent and the walk together. She quickly entered her tent and returned with her trowel, a satchel, and some medical supplies. The two sat down cross legged in front of each other.</p><p>     “I want to show you how I heal myself without a med kit. I take this gauze out of a kit and stuff as much I can in my pockets. I also keep a wipe on me to clean the blood off wounds first. It’s not as clean a kit heal so it takes a longer.” Claudette explained matter-of-factually. Meg was dumbfounded, she had no idea Claudette even did this.</p><p>     There were periods in trials where Meg wouldn’t see her, this is what she must be doing during those times. Meg was aware that Claudette could heal herself better than her own teammates could, or maybe she just didn’t want to burden them? She needed to improve her healing skills either way. Claudette cleansed the blood running across the gash on the outside of her wrist. “Okay, so after you clean the blood off your skin… You can pin the beginning of the unrolled side of gauze in place with the thumb of your injured hand, then wrap it around your arm upwards.”</p><p>     As Claudette instructed, she began to cover her slashed arm in gauze. Meg’s eyes were glued to her actions. “If the gauze bleeds through on placement, you don’t want to take it off. That can do more harm than good. It’s better just to wrap around that area with another layer. After that, tie up the ends and wiggle your finger to check the circulation.” Claudette did exactly what she described and handed Meg her supplies.</p><p>     Meg’s injury was also on her arm, so she was at least able to imitate the other’s actions easily. She cleaned her wound, unraveled the gauze upward, and tied it off. Claudette leaned in and inspected the bandages as Meg stretched her fingers. Meg privately enjoyed the brief moment of closeness but anxiously waited to hear the other’s judgment. “You did well.” She said kindly. Meg pumped her fist in the air victoriously.</p><p>     The two girls stood and clasped each other’s hands, leaving the campsite for the fog. Meg looked over her shoulder and watched the twinkling of the fire get smaller and smaller. The only sound now was the thuds of their footsteps and their quiet breathing. The foggy expanse ahead of them eventually revealed a small array of flowers in the short distance. Meg and Claudette shot each other amused glances as they quickly approached the blooms. The petals were ruffled with pink edges that changed to a vibrant red in the center. The burst of color shocked Meg, she never imagined something so bright could be out here in the void. The primrose they originally found was quite nice, but whatever flower this was really knocked it out of the park.</p><p>     “This is sweet william, it is often used a symbol for passion and courage. The Roman goddess of the hunt, Diana, once plucked out the eyes of a man who had angered her. This flower grew from the dirt where his eyes fell.” Claudette enthusiastically explained.</p><p>     “Wow, she sounds like a badass. Maybe we can channel some of that boldness with these?” Meg suggested, jovially posing her free hand like a claw.</p><p>     “What?! I don’t want to rip anybody’s eyes out!” Claudette gasped and winced at the gruesome thought.</p><p>     “C’mon, not even a killer?” Meg tilted her head, intrigued by the other’s reaction.</p><p>     “Never, not even a killer deserves <em>that</em>.” Claudette replied, with genuine disgust on her face. She may be unable to hurt a fly, but she wouldn't hurt a murderer? Meg could understand the fear of retaliation from them, but if she could get away with attacking a killer, she would totally do it. Claudette was just too sweet, and the strong must protect the sweet. Claudette’s face was wrought with worry, like she wanted to say something but was afraid. “Meg, have you ever thought that maybe they don’t want to hunt us down?”</p><p>     “I… No, I haven’t.” Meg was aghast, she did her best to hold back a gaping jaw. She wanted to hear her out.</p><p>     “It’s possible someone hurt them too. Both Trapper and Hillbilly’s are covered in scars, and Wraith… When I look at him, I see anger, but I also see fear.” Claudette just sounded so somber with her words. Meg was astounded that Claudette could notice something like that and felt ashamed that she couldn’t. “I think if something is keeping us here, it also must be have trapped them somewhere.”</p><p>     Meg actually had considered there had been some sort of higher power controlling their new world. How else do could she explain the freaky claws that take them away when they die? Who teleports them to the trials? Who even brought them here in the first place? She assumed maybe this being worked for the killers or maybe were equals with them. Never could she imagine these murderers worked for whatever had abducted her. Was there truly something more dangerous than them? Her head was spinning and she need to stop thinking about this <em>right now</em>.</p><p>     She knelt down to the flowers and the other followed suit. Claudette seemed to take the hint that Meg was overwhelmed with existential dread as she moved on to digging with her trowel. The sweet william was neatly planted in her satchel. She then plucked one of the flowers and gently placed it above Meg’s ear. She revealed a coy smile as Meg’s face turned red from the gesture. Meg was frozen for a moment; all her thoughts were gone. All she could come up with was to swiftly mirror Claudette’s actions, she ripped a flower out and awkwardly set it on her ear too.</p><p>     Claudette giggled at the action and Meg just realized they were leaning towards each other gradually. They were intimately close now so she could study Claudette’s features. Her eyes were endlessly dark, she felt like she could dive into them and never return, and she would never want to either. Her brown lips looked warm and inviting, and they were getting larger as they continued to close the distance.</p><p>     “Can I… Can I kiss you?” Meg quietly asked.</p><p>     “I thought you’d never ask.” Claudette tenderly answered.</p><p>     Their lips brushed together and embraced the softness. The quiet of the fog was disrupted by fireworks exploding in Meg’s mind. She closed her eyes and the fear of killers their cruel god evaporated like they were nothing. Even if Meg were trapped in hell, at least Claudette could be her angel in this moment. The world was just Meg Thomas and Claudette Morel now. However, this peace could never last so the two retreated their lips. Meg knew they had to return to the camp eventually, and by the way Claudette was gripping her hand tightly, she must have known too. The two stood up together and began to walk back in the direction they came from.</p><p>     “So… Are we dating now?” Claudette blurted out. Meg’s breath hitched in her throat and she choked a little.</p><p>     “Erm, we can be if you want.” Meg nervously scratched at her neck and glanced away.</p><p>     “I <em>do</em> want to be dating you.” Claudette playfully declared with a bashful smile.</p><p>     “You do? Cool. ‘Cause I do too.” Meg responded casually, trying to act like it was no big deal.</p><p>     Dating? In <em>this</em> nightmare? The only thing stranger than being trapped in a realm where monsters kill you over and over again would be finding love in said realm. Love? Is that what this is? Was it too soon to tell? Meg had a habit of jumping to conclusions, after all, that was what brought her to follow Claudette into the fog in the first place. Maybe this was more of a leap of faith? Oh god, she’s letting her mind go wild again.</p><p>     The obscured glow of the campfire reaching her view snapped her out of those thoughts. The light got brighter and brighter until finally they were home. She didn’t want to think of this place as her home, but with Claudette by her side, it would be okay for now. Meg didn’t want them to go back to their tents like they normally would, she wanted this date to last a little bit longer. As if Claudette could read her mind, she guided her to sit on a log near the flames. So together they sat in silence, still holding hands, under the eternal night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, I hope you all liked it! This is actually my first ever multi chapter fic and my first time writing femslash.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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